Month: February 2025

(Rye, New York)- American YC is excited to announce that registration for the 46th American YC Spring Regatta is now open! The club is building upon the success of the past two years with three days of fantastic racing planned, along with our not-to-be-missed shoreside parties!
The Spring Regatta will kick off with a Friday afternoon Coastal Race on May 2, which will be followed by the AYC Spring Series on Saturday and Sunday, May 3-4. Our Friday afternoon start will allow for traveling entries to get boats delivered in the morning. We will be sharing more details about the Friday and Saturday night events in future announcements.
For more American YC Spring Regatta sailing & registration informationhttps://www.yachtscoring.com/emenu/%2050077

(Nieuwpoort, Belgium)- As the principal sponsor of the J/80 World Championship in Nieuwpoort, CFP Green Buildings is committed to making the beautiful and sustainable sport of sailing more accessible to everyone. In addition to supporting the event itself, they are introducing a special fund, giving youth teams (three crew members under 25 years old) from around the world the opportunity to participate in the J/80 World Championship.
Sailing for everyone: From France to India“With this fund, we aim to provide equal opportunities for teams from various countries to join the championship: from France and Spain to India, the US, and Denmark,” says Bram Adema, CEO of CFP Green Buildings and an avid sailor. “We understand that travel costs can be a barrier and hope this initiative will enhance access to the championship while strengthening the international J/80 community.”
Via the following link, teams can apply for this fund: https://www.j80worldsnieuwpoort2025.com/event/youth-fund
Please share this information with your members to help the youth teams! Application deadline is May 1st, 2025.
Sustainability and accessibility go hand in handAt CFP, we believe in the power of sport to connect people and promote sustainability. By providing this fund, we aim to contribute to a more inclusive and sustainable sailing event.
“Sailing pushes boundaries, just like sustainability. Through this fund, we want to give teams from across the world a fair chance to participate in the championship, demonstrating that sailing is not just a competition, but also a powerful way to bring people and communities together,” Bram explains.
We look forward to welcoming teams from all over the world to Nieuwpoort in 2025 and creating an unforgettable championship together!

As we dive deeper into the sailing season, more exciting regattas and global celebrations are on the horizon. As the winter chill lingers in some parts of the world, the sailing community is heating up with an action-packed schedule of regattas, championships, and special events. From the sun-soaked waters of Florida to the historic shores of Monaco, sailors are gearing up for thrilling competitions and unforgettable experiences on and off the water.  
In St. Petersburg, FL, the highly anticipated Helly Hansen SAILING WORLD Regatta will set the stage for three days of intense racing, featuring J/70s and J/24s battling for top honors. Concurrently, don’t miss out on FREE demo sails on a brand new J/7 daysailer!
Meanwhile, Monaco’s premier J/70 Sportsboat Winter Series continues to showcase world-class talent, with teams vying for supremacy as the series nears its grand finale.  
Across the globe, excitement is building for the 2026 J/24 World Championship in Melbourne, Australia, with PEERLESS Industrial Systems stepping up as the title sponsor. And in Belgium, young sailors have reason to celebrate, as funding support is now available for under-25 teams eager to compete in the J/80 World Championship coming this summer in Nieuwport, Belgium.  
In the U.S., the Women’s J/22 Invitational Regatta in San Diego promises a high-energy Valentine’s Day weekend of competition and camaraderie, offering a vibrant showcase of skill and teamwork among female sailors. Looking ahead to summer, the world will unite once again for the 25th anniversary of Summer Sailstice, a global festival that brings sailors together to celebrate their passion for the sea. 

J/7 Demo Sails at St. Pete Regatta!!

(St. Petersburg, FL)-The Tait Yachts team in Florida will have a brand new J/7 daysailer at St. Petersburg Yacht Club for demo sails for three days during the Helly Hansen SAILING WORLD Regatta from February 14th to 16th, 2025. Read more here.

PICCININA Leads J/70 Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series

(Monte Carlo, Monaco)- Last weekend, the J/70 Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series lived up to its reputation as the essential winter event organized by the Yacht Club de Monaco. The fleet enjoyed three days of intense races, hard-fought duels, and twists and turns at every mark ensuring a spectacular show. With the season’s finish line approaching, tensions were high, as every tack and gybe had the potential to change everything. While the Monaco teams proved their dominance, the international fleet, hungry for success, was out to spoil the party!
PICCININA “Masters of Monaco”In the highly competitive J/70 class, Stefano Roberti’s PICCININA, with the young Antoine Arnoult from YCM’s Sports Section onboard, showcased his expertise. Leading after two races, he held his nerve against tough competition, handling the conditions with finesse which was no easy feat.  Read more here.

Women’s J/22 Invitational Regatta- a Valentine’s Celebration!

(San Diego, CA)- San Diego Yacht Club’s annual Women’s J/22 Invitational Regatta returns this upcoming winter from February 14th to 16th, 2025. The regatta is sailed at San Diego YC directly off the docks in La Playa and features the club’s J/22 one-design sailboats, which are sponsored by Mount Gay. Over 80 women sailors on 24 teams will make for a fun, action-packed regatta weekend on and off the water.
The Women’s J/22 Invitational is one of the first established yacht club challenges for women in the country, to encourage participation in the sport while providing a unique Southern California sailing experience. Sailors and spectators alike experience the unmatched atmosphere of San Diego in February.  Read more here.

The Valentine’s Regatta! SAILING WORLD St. Pete Regatta Preview

 (St Petersburg, FL)- The Helly Hansen St. Petersburg Sailing World Regatta will be taking place this coming weekend on sunny Tampa Bay! The host St. Petersburg Yacht Club is rolling out the red carpet for all and hopes there’s some fun to be had on the water during race days! Three days of racing are planned from February 14th to 17th, 2024.
The entire St Pete YC team will treat you to coffee and pastries on the main dock each morning and meet you right back there after racing with a cold beer!! Muchas cervezas, por favor!! Thanks to the beer sponsor Anchor Brewing, there will be coolers overflowing with “coldies” waiting on the docks when you return! Sounds awesome, a great break and an antidote to the “winter blues” up north!
J/Crews from across America will be participating in two one-design classes- eighteen teams of J/70s and a half-dozen J/24 teams. Read more here.

2026 J/24 Worlds Announces Title Sponsor

(Melbourne, Australia)- The 2026 J/24 World Championship will be hosted by the iconic Sandringham Yacht Club in Melbourne, Australia from November 4th to 11th, 2026. The SYC Organising Committee is excited and proud to announce the confirmation of the J/24 Worlds title sponsor- PEERLESS Industrial Systems. They are an Australian company with an international client base involved in the manufacture of industrial epoxy resin systems under the brand name- EPIGEN.Peerless Industrial Systems has been an industry leader since 1970 in the development and provision of resin-based technology. They are dedicated professionals with technical expertise in the Mining, Water and Power, Oil and Gas, Mineral Processing, Refining, Pipeline, Material Handling, and storage industries.
Their resin systems are also used in boatbuilding industries throughout Australia and overseas. Read more here.

Youth J/80 Lovers Rejoice! Apply for Funding Support for J/80 Worlds in Belgium!

(Nieuwpoort, Belgium)- As the sponsor of the J/80 Worlds in Nieuwpoort, CFP Green Buildings is committed to making the beautiful and sustainable sport of sailing more accessible to everyone. In addition to supporting the event itself, they are introducing a special fund, giving youth teams (three crew members under 25 years old) from around the world the opportunity to participate in the J/80 World Championship.
Sailing for everyone: From France to India“With this fund, we aim to provide equal opportunities for teams from various countries to join the championship: from France and Spain to India, the US, and Denmark,” says Bram Adema, CEO of CFP Green Buildings and an avid sailor. “We understand that travel costs can be a barrier and hope this initiative will enhance access to the championship while strengthening the international J/80 community.” Read more here.

Summer Sailstice Celebrates 25 Years of Global Sailing Festivities 

(San Francisco, CA)– This summer marks the 25th anniversary of Summer Sailstice, the global celebration of sailing, set to take place on June 21-22, 2025. Founded in 2001 by John Arndt, Summer Sailstice unites sailors from around the world to share the experience of sailing, connect all sailors, and promote ocean sustainability. What began as a small initiative to have fun celebrating the pleasure, heritage, and value of sailing has grown into a global event with thousands of participants from over 40 countries.
Summer Sailstice encourages sailors of all levels— from seasoned veterans, and competitive racers to casual cruisers— to join sailors worldwide by hoisting their sails on the first weekend of the summer. The event coincides with the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, and participants can join in by sailing/racing/cruising their boat, crewing on a friend’s vessel, or joining activities onshore. Participants are encouraged to register online and share their experiences through social media, creating a global community of sailors connecting for one weekend to celebrate sailing. Read more here.

 

J/Weather Jacket- February 25% Special
(Newport, RI)-  The J/Weather jacket is a multi-layered jacket with a warm fleece liner for comfort and a poly shell to repel the elements. Reflective piping stripes on the shoulder and back make it cool for night sailing.
The J/Class logo is embroidered and you may customize it for the whole crew. Order the J/Weather Jacket here

(Nieuwpoort, Belgium)- The J/80 World Championships 2025 are coming to the vibrant coastal city of Nieuwpoort from July 5th to 11th and registrations are officially open. This promises to be a world-class event packed with thrilling competition, camaraderie, and unforgettable moments on and off the water.
The Royal Yacht Club Nieuwpoort (KYCN) and the Flemish Yachthaven Nieuwpoort (VYN) are organizing this event in collaboration with the Belgian J/80 Class, which promises to be a memorable week.
Registration for the J/80 Worlds Nieuwpoort 2025 is officially open at this link:
https://www.j80worldsnieuwpoort2025.com/news-pictures/registrations-are-open-for-the-j80-world-championships-in-nieuwpoort
So far, there are 23 entries from Belgium, Spain, France, United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland.
The J/80 Worlds is an “open” regatta! Consequently, anyone who becomes a member of the J/80 class and can charter/ beg/ borrow/ steal a J/80 can participate! You can register by specifying the skipper, your emergency contact, your boat name, and sail number. Your crew information and the documentation related to your crew and boat can be uploaded later. Also, payment can be completed at a later stage (just keep in mind the amount is increased from the 15th of May onwards, as specified in the Notice of Race).
The organizing team of this year’s J/80 World is looking forward to welcoming you to Nieuwpoort!https://www.j80worldsnieuwpoort2025.com/home

J/125 Crushes Overall! J/Crews Clean House and Silver in Various Divisions
(San Francisco, CA)- An annual favorite in the bay, the SSS (Singlehanded Sailing Society) Three Bridge Fiasco is the biggest yacht race in the USA west of the Mississippi River, with 300+ boats every year. The race is a pursuit race (slowest boats start first), starts and finishes on the city front at the Golden Gate Yacht Club, and the course involves the Blackaller Buoy (by the Golden Gate Bridge), Yerba Buena Island/Treasure Island (Bay Bridge), and Red Rock (by the Richmond/San Rafael Bridge). The marks can be rounded in any order and any direction, providing the crazy appeal of this race.
There were 303 keelboat entries for this year’s edition of the 3BF!! And, there are 54 J/Teams entered as mostly doublehanded teams- 18.0% of the fleet! Here’s the shocker, the wind conditions were so light this year that just 40 boats in total finished the race! Amazingly, J/crews nearly cleaned house and silvered in several divisions! Here is how it all went down.
This year’s event lived up to its “Fiasco” name, with sailors making varied – and sometimes opposite – choices and experiencing diverse conditions. This year’s edition was characterized by light winds and a strong ebb tide, particularly at the start. Many sailors struggled with the current, with some boats being “flushed” out of the gate. Weather conditions varied throughout the race, including fog, sun, and even a squall later in the day on their way back to Richmond.
As usual, sailors adopted different strategies, some going clockwise and others counterclockwise. Key decision points included whether to round Blackaller first or head directly to Red Rock. Many participants had to adapt their plans due to changing conditions.
Overall, this year’s event provided a challenging and memorable experience for the participants, with finishing considered a significant achievement given the challenging conditions.
Latitude 38’s publisher/editor- John Arndt- provided his usual entertaining perspective on the proceedings on San Francisco Bay. As he described…
“Plans are useless, but planning is essential.” – quote by Dwight D. Eisenhower.
“This is one of our favorite quotes. We always show up at the already busy docks early on the morning of the Three Bridge Fiasco with a working theory on how we might actually win the race. The plans are usually tossed overboard as we approach the starting line to see the actual conditions and observe the boats starting ahead of us.
This year was no different. It would be ebbing solidly all day. Wind predictions were anywhere from 2 knots to 22 knots, though we never saw that latter figure in our brief pre-race planning searches. Regardless, as we joined hundreds of boats approaching the starting area, there was some breeze from the north and some of the early starters were actually heeling. A little bit.
Naturally, that early morning breeze began to fade as the reverse handicap starts progressed. Most boats were choosing to attempt to cross, reaching from the west against the already well-established ebb and staying close to the pin where there was a bit more breeze than along the shore. It was crowded.
We chose to cross on starboard so we could go with the flow and then button-hook back onto port tack. That left us facing dozens of port tackers trying to head across the line. Somehow we found a path through the phalanx of port tackers. Amid the mess, we lost steerage and almost flopped to port, but were able to rush forward to hold our jib to weather and push our bow back down onto starboard. Phew!
We crossed the line and optimistically joined the 300 other boats, looking for a breeze while the current built toward max ebb at 12:10. While we sailed out to the middle looking for some of the fading flood, a large group of determined port tackers were hugging the shore to the west trying to fight the flood to start. Many never made it.
We felt hopeful as we slowly worked toward Alcatraz while seeing many boats along the Cityfront vainly hoping to start. It all fell apart from there. Occasional ripples, cat’s paws, and zephyrs passed our way. The building northwesterly we’d held in our dreams remained a dream. We were getting sucked and suckered to the north looking for that breeze and closing on the ebbing river out of Raccoon Strait. Forward motion vanished and we began to hear the loud flushing sound while doing unplanned donuts near Horseshoe Cove and the North Tower.
Many boats had already been sucked (pushed?) well outside the Golden Gate. Our race ended abruptly when we fired up the engine as the rocks under the North Tower rapidly approached. Oh, well. We started the long motor against the ebb and passed many skippers determined to persevere. We tied up at the Corinthian Yacht Club, put the boat away, had a sandwich, and were all done by 12:30, pretty sure that nobody would finish. (The good news was we were home in time to get to the 7:30 showing of the Ron Holland film in Mill Valley.) Suddenly, some spinnakers appeared over the breakwater, heading down Raccoon Strait. Could it be? Sure enough, a light westerly was filling in and boats were gaining on the ebb.
We’re not yet sure how they did it, but about 40 boats out of the 300+ that started, or attempted to start, finished before the 7 p.m. cutoff. Congratulations to all of them! Patience, perseverance, and some damn good sailing must have made it happen. Six or eight boats missed the 7 p.m. cutoff by minutes. Well over 200 boats had to withdraw, and we were among those.”
Read more of John Arndt’s Three Bridge Fiasco story on LATITUDE 38 here:https://www.latitude38.com/lectronic/drifted-three-bridge-fiasco/
In fact, just thirteen of thirty-five divisions had one or more finishers!
J/105 DoublehandedJust three boats finished in the dozen-boat J/105 doublehanded fleet. Winning was Laurence Bekins & Mike Stephens’s JOSE CUERVO. Taking the silver medal was Bill Woodruff’s ROULETTE, followed by Richard & Graham Deane’s NANTUCKET SLEIGHRIDE garnering the bronze medal.
PHRF Doublehanded Spin Division 13Winning this ten-boat fleet was Andrew Picel & Leland Hubble’s J/125 ARSENAL by over 30 minutes, plus winning the whole enchilada Overall!! Then, Rufus Sjoberg & Dylan Benjamin’s J/125 took fourth place, while Shane Riehl & Irina Potekhina’s J/133 DEFIANT took fifth place.
PHRF Doublehanded Spin Division 16Winning this eight-boat fleet was Dan Brousseau & Tracy Usher’s J/109 TANGAROA.
PHRF Doublehanded Spin Division 19This eleven-boat fleet saw just two finishers. Winning was Tim Roche’s J/92 ZAFF by over 40 minutes elapsed time.
PHRF Doublehanded Sportboat Division 25This thirteen-boat class saw a clean sweep of the podium by J/Teams. Winning was Mark Howe & Laura Parent’s J/88 SPLIT WATER. Taking the silver medal was Peter Cameron & Brett Dewire’s J/80 KANGAROO JOCKEY. Then, rounding out the podium taking the bronze medal was Steve Gordon & Charlie King’s J/88 INCONCEIVABLE.
For more 3-Bridge Fiasco Race sailing informationhttps://www.jibeset.net/JACKY000.php?RG=T006291399